Construction and agricultural and like tractors commonly employ counterweights at one end of the tractor for counterbalancing excessive weight at the opposite end of the tractor. Thus, counterweights which may be placed on or removed from the tractor or the attachment thereto itself are commonly employed so that the entire assembly can be best balanced relative to its wheels or ground-supporting members. Accordingly, the prior art is already aware of various arrangements for applying and supporting counterweights on tractors, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,492,019 and 3,517,941 show arrangements for placing counterweights on the front of a tractor and to thereby counterbalance the load or mass of the tractor at the rear thereof. Also, agricultural and construction equipment already utilizes various arrangements for counterweights and containers for receiving them, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,309,266 and 2,907,396 and 3,069,792 and 3,276,153. In those instances, counterweight containers or boxes are simply attached onto the implement or tractor itself, and then the counterweights are placed into the containers or boxes, as desired, and the counterweights are exposed and are subject to falling out of the container or box and are subject to weathering and like concerns. Still further, the prior art is also aware of the utilization of counterweights for counterbalancing the load supported in a loader bucket mounted on a tractor at the front thereof, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,231,117 and 3,902,735 show arrangements for counterbalancing the loader bucket loads with counterweights at the rear of the tractor. However, in those showings, the counterweight is again exposed and is not utilized and arranged in manners which are the objects of the present invention, and thus all of the aforementioned prior art is distinguishable from and differs from the present invention.
The present invention provides a tractor with a ripper attachment having a combined tool bar and counterweight container. That is, the tool bar itself is of a hollow configuration and extends rearwardly of the tractor and is capable of receiving counterweights which are therefore completely enclosed within the tool bar and are secured therein and are desirably disposed at a most rearward location relative to the tractor to thereby be most effective for counterbalancing the weight or load at the front of the tractor. In accomplishing this objective, there is no requirement for the provision of additional containers or mounting means or the like, such as those disclosed in the aforesaid patents, for the purpose of receiving and holding the counterweights which are normally removably disposed relative to the tractor. Thus, the counterweights employed in the present invention are completely contained and concealed, and no special mounting members are required, and only cover plates at the ends of the hollow tool bar are utilized for completely enclosing the counterweights contained within the hollow tool bar.
Other objects and advantages include the accomplishments of the aforementioned and having the counterweights of various sizes and lengths which are easily maneuvered and positioned into and out of the hollow tool bar, and even the tool bar itself is arranged to be raised and lowered under a powered cylinder assembly so that the tool bar can have the weights placed therein when it is in a lowered position and thus requires only a minimum of lifting for the operator to apply and remove the counterweights relative to the tool bar. That is, no special mounting is required for the counterweights, and thus they can be made in various lengths to specify varieties of weight for easy handling by one man and they can be made of sizes and identities according to the desired material of which they are made. This objective includes the advantage of being able to tack weld or otherwise secure several weights together into one maneuverable weight of a limited size and mass. Further, because the counterweights are not visible, the appearance of the machine is improved and also there is improved clearance, particularly when the tool bar is in the raised position, since the counterweights are not projecting from the tool bar itself but are instead enclosed therein.
The present invention has particular application in connection with crawler-type tractors, and here it will be understood that a crawler loader which has its bucket at the front end thereof is in need of counter balancing toward the rear thereof. Thus, where the present invention employs a ripper attachment for a crawler tractor, that attachment by itself does not provide sufficient counterweight for the forwardly balanced loader type tractor, especially where the ripper attachment can be utilized for a dozer type tractor which is not in need of counterbalancing toward the rear of the tractor. Accordingly, the ripper assembly attachable to either the dozer or loader tractor can be utilized for both types of tractors when the present invention is applied thereto and arranged to have the counterweights placed into the ripper tool bar and thus have the otherwise lightweight ripper assembly suitable for the dozer tractor also suitable for the loader tractor and to thereby counterbalance the forward located mass on the loader tractor.
Still further, the present invention provides the arrangement of the aforesaid counterweight accommodation and it does so in connection with an arrangement whereby the ripper assembly can be raised to only a limited upward position and thereby protect the assembly and the control power cylinder itself, even though the assembly is arranged to receive and accommodate the counterweights in the tool bar element of the assembly.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings.